PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A new poll released today by the Pew Charitable Trusts tracks the attitudes of Philadelphians toward police.

Pew project director Larry Eichel says a telephone survey of more than 1,600 people conducted from Jan. 31st to Feb. 13th found strong support for Mayor Michael Nutter’s stop-and-frisk program.

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, has filed a federal lawsuit against the policy, in which officers stop and pat down for weapons any suspicious person whom they suspect might be involved in criminal activity.

Eichel says that by a 2-1 ratio, city residents support the overall program. However, Eichel says, when asked further whether officers use good judgment in carrying out the policy, race plays a role in the responses.

“Whites overwhelmingly — 57 to 15 percent — saying they were confident in police ability to implement the policy fairly. But blacks, sort of tilting the other way, only 30 percent saying they think police use good judgment and 44 percent saying they do not.”

The poll also found the public’s respect overall for police is high, but racial or ethnic group, income, and race also played a role in the answers.

Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio 1060.